Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1, 5-25
In the days of Herod, King of Judea,
there was a priest named Zechariah
of the priestly division of Abijah;
his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth.
Both were righteous in the eyes of God,
observing all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren
and both were advanced in years.
Once when he was serving as priest
in his division’s turn before God,
according to the practice of the priestly service,
he was chosen by lot
to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.
Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside
at the hour of the incense offering,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him,
standing at the right of the altar of incense.
Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you shall name him John.
And you will have joy and gladness,
and many will rejoice at his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb,
and he will turn many of the children of Israel
to the Lord their God.
He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”
Then Zechariah said to the angel,
“How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
And the angel said to him in reply,
“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.
I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.
But now you will be speechless and unable to talk
until the day these things take place,
because you did not believe my words,
which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah
and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.
But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,
and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.
He was gesturing to them but remained mute.
Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.
After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,
and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,
“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit
to take away my disgrace before others.”
God gives dignity
1. Zechariah. He is a devoted and prayerful man who faithfully carries out his religious responsibilities. Yet, there is one thing he struggles with: “belief”. This struggle isn’t unique to him—it can happen to any of us. You might attend Mass, pray the Rosary, and fulfill all your religious practices, but still wrestle with believing in God’s action in your own life. Ask yourself today: are you truly a person of faith, or are you simply performing the rituals of faith without conviction?
2. Elizabeth. She endures the pain that comes from society’s judgment. Because she is childless, the community sees her as unfortunate and even imagines she is being punished by God. Consider how often society has judged you and caused you suffering. Sometimes, we even use God as a reason to place heavier burdens on others. Reflect on how many people you might hurt with your words, and how many “Elizabeths” today suffer from being condemned by those around them. Let’s pray today for the strength to endure hurtful words and for the prudence to guard our own speech.
3. The Lord has done great things. God is always at work and continually shows us we are never alone. Don’t lose heart, even if God’s timing differs from yours. Have courage and remain strong—God always finds ways to surprise us in life.
Always remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
